Pillars of Salt & Pillars of Sand
by sparklylulz
Summary: "He had buried that man long ago and there was no point in ripping open old wounds." -A study of who Rumpelstiltskin really was.


**a/n: **I have recently undergone a sudden realization of the fact that Rumpelstiltskin is my favorite character on Once Upon a Time and I just can't get enough of him- so here is a little backstory that is total AU and purely from my sleep deprived brain.

**I don't claim to own any of it, including the title or quote coming from Coldplay. **

–

_**'pillars of salt & pillars of sand'**_

_'For some reason I can't explain, I know Saint Peter won't call my name;_

_Never an honest word, but that was when I ruled the world._

_I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing; Roman Cavalry choirs are singing;_

_Be my mirror, my sword and shield; my missionaries in a foreign field.'_

–

Magic had a funny way of surprising people, either through delight or by way of destruction, and it was no surprise that those who practiced magic tended to be dangerous. The villains were always the sorcerers and warlocks, ugly and merciless, filled with bitter greed and desire for what the hero of the story stood to gain. Rumpelstiltskin, to anyone who knew him now, fit into the stereotypical mould rather spectacularly, and really, he liked it that way.

Power, he had learned, was what set everyone apart from being the governors and the governed and he was not a subservient man in any respect. Magic was as natural to him as the leaves changing color in the fall or the sound of a child's first cries. It compelled him and in the end, it would be said, was what drove him mad. It was all a fallacy to the outside world, because only he knew the _real_ story, even as Mr. Gold, but he couldn't let anyone else know who the true Rumpelstiltskin had been before he'd become the unrecognizable antagonist of children stories all over the world. He had buried that man long ago and there was no point in ripping open old wounds.

–

He'd grown up in a normal household with a kind mother and a providing father, not particularly wealthy, but they didn't starve in the winters like so many around him tended to. Rumpelstiltskin knew the price of living from a young age and once he realized why strange things tended to happen around him, he understood that he had found a way to never go hungry again. His words were as poisonous as the quill he would later use in business transactions, but they did whatever anyone wanted them to.

By the age of twenty he could make women into queens and a stack of hay into a treasure trove. Magic was woven into the very fabric of his being, full of raw power and a thirst for something more than what he already had. Magic gave him a way to be in control, a way to prove that he was more than some middle class farmer's son. His prophecies and charisma helped him work his way up in the underground society of nobles needing to hide bastard children or royals seeking to dispose of their in-laws.

It was Rumpelstiltskin that kept all their secrets.

–

There was a girl, a beautiful girl, with hair as golden as the finest honey and eyes brighter than the morning sky. Her complexion was soft and breath taking, but she was promised to a noble of a much superior birth than his own, and for once Rumpelstiltskin knew exactly what he wanted. It was always romance, in the end, he would learn that in time. For now, however, he simply wanted her with the intensity of a thousand suns and that desire pushed him to become the greatest wielder of magic in the entire kingdom.

The girl's betrothed, it turned out, was a ruthless man, full of vile intentions and horrible thoughts. He cheat and beat everyone who stood in his way, including his bride-to-be. Rumpelstiltskin never fancied himself any kind of hero, he spent his days tricking people into bad bargains, but the sight of the blue hue under her pale skin was enough to push him into action.

When they found the body, apparently mauled by a bear, it was ruled an accident and no one noticed the spare set of footprints in the soft mud near the body.

–

Her name was Melody and she was all he had ever hoped to find in a woman. Her name was no disappointment, as he was greeted every morning with a gentle song, hummed for only him and the birds to hear. He had been young and much handsomer in his youth, full of vigor and agility and when she dropped her handkerchief in front of his feet it hadn't taken much to crack a smile on her pretty face.

She was entranced by his abilities, especially when it came to creating flowers for her, and he would have done absolutely anything to make her smile. He gave her beautiful necklaces made of the finest gold to match her lovely hair and eventually he gave her a ring with a large diamond set into the center.

She cried in happiness and nodded to him her consent and it was on the happiest night of his life that he got the vision that would eventually ruin everything.

–

The wedding was a small affair, with only her family and a few of his better clients, but the smile in her eyes as she agreed to be his wife was enough to make him happy for the rest of his life. Of course, soon after the marriage was made official Melody fell pregnant and Rumplestiltskin was once again reminded of his vision.

When they came for her he was away in town, looking for the next person who required his services. He was examining noblemen on the corner while she was being drug out of their home, her six months pregnant body not capable of retaliating against the large men forcing into the carriage. He returned home to discover what had happened and while he would eventually gain revenge, he also realized she was dead, the magic that had bonded them was no longer in the air.

Rumpelstiltskin had decided in that moment that he would never give happiness to anyone without a stiff price being attached.

–

As Mr. Gold it was slightly more difficult to force people into bargains that were fruitful for him, but he was still charismatic and he never forgot what he had become in the past life he'd lived. The hate in his heart and bitterness in his mind poisoned and consumed him until he became the Rumplestiltskin of legend- the heartless creature that survived by cheating others out of their joys in life.

He was more than used to taking children, as first borns were always his favorite exchange for magical deeds. He found it disconcerting to see so many beautiful, young, blond women offering anything in exchange for their wishes to come true. However, he still wasn't at home in the new world, because no matter the money or riches, without his magic he was nothing.

Knowing that it was the Evil Queen who had been the one to have his wife and child kidnapped and killed helped with his decision to give her the one child that would ensure her downfall. He made a deal with Emma for Ashley's baby because it was advantageous that Emma be an ally in the coming struggle for Storybrook. He looked at Emma and saw another woman who had stood up to him, another woman with a strong heart and an honest smile.

Emma Swan was all he had in that new world to remind him of Melody and he would be damned if he let her leave.

–

At the end of the day, he still crawled into bed alone, reaching his arm out to hold someone who was not there and if he listened hard enough he could hear the cries of a new born baby haunting his dreams.


End file.
